Fountain pen



May 21, 1940.

w. E. HOUSTON FOUNTAIN PEN Filed May 12, 1939 FIG. 6. 25 22 V X \M IDNVENTOR. WiuiamEHuu sTun ATTORNEYS.

tion.

Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES FOUNTAIN PEN 'William E. Houston, Columbia, S. C. Application May 12, 1939, Serial No. 273,351

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to fountain pens and more particularly to improved cap means for protecting the pen point, which eliminates the necessity for the more or less awkward motions of ones hands when unscrewing the cap, reversing it and then placing it on the head end of the pen barrel in opening the pens as now in common use, and then reversing this procedure when closing the pen. A p The rimary object of the invention is to provide a closure cap for fountain pens, which is adapted to havea sliding movement over the pen barrel and which is readily locked in either an open or a closed position by a slight turn of the 1; cap. a

A further object resides in the novel arrangement for automatically opening and closing the lid of the cap as the cap is slid along the pen barrel. A further object resides in the provision of a closure cap which may he slid from a closed position protecting the pen point, to an open position at the opposite or head end of the pen barrel when writing with the pen. A further object is to provide a fountain pen embodying a reciprocating" cap which may be moved along the pen bBt'Iel to a position remote from the pen point, well out of the way of the user's fingers and in a position to give better balance and stability to movement of the pen .when writing.

A still further object resides in the novel sliding cap arrangement whereby suflicient length to the pen is provided when the cap is slid to the head end of the barrel, and the lid of the cap so disposed as to not interfere with proper use of the pen.

, Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed de- 4 scription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification and in which drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of the improved fountain pen in a closed condition.

.Flgure 2 is a view showing the pen in use.

Figure 3 is a view showing the closure cap in its locked position over the head end of the pen barrel, the cap being shown in longitudinal sec- Figurev 4 is a view taken at a right angle to the showing in Figure 3. v

Figure 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section thru the capin a closed position over the writing endofthepenbarrel. .v

pen point l2.

Figure 6 is a longitudinal section thru the cap detached from the pen barrel.

Figure '7 is an enlarged transverse section on line 'l'| of Figure 3 Referring to the drawing in detail and wherein 5 like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the improved fountain pen comprises a cylindrical barrel A having the sliding closure cap 3 reciprocally movable therealong to positions partially project- 10 ing beyond opposite ends of the barrel.

The barrel A comprises a plain surfaced body portion l0 provided at its forward or writing end with a slightly tapered and concaved removable head or grip I I in the forward end of which is 15 mounted the pen point l2. The rear flaring end of the grip ll merges into the cylindrical surface of the barrelbody portion Ill. The pen barrel is of the self-filling type and has the usual ink sack l3 which may be collapsed by the filler lever ll 20 for allowing filling of the sack in the well known manner. As will be observed, the filler lever I4 is slightly offset radially from the back of the The closure. cap B comprises a tubular sleeve 25 portion l5 having a snug but nice sliding fit over the barrel body portion l0. Closing the outer end of the sleeve I5 is a disc-shaped lid it which is hinged to close upon the end of the sleeve by meansof a'spring hinge l l tensioned to normally '30 close the lid upon the sleeve. One hinge leaf ll of the spring hinge i1 is secured in any preferred manner to the edge of the lid it, while the other hinge leaf I9 is securedto the sleeve ll vand extends longitudinally along the sleeve to form a clip 85 20 for retaining the peh in ones pocket. A means is provided for automatically opening the lid l5 when the sleeve i5 is slid rearwardly on v the barrel l0 so as to allow the pen point l2 to be which is pivoted at its outer end as by a staple or the like 25 to the lid I5. Provided at the inner free end of the rod- 22 to lie in the groove 2|; 5Q

' is a suitably rounded knob 25 having a diameter no greater than the depth of the groove 2|, and which knob co-acts with the incline 22 for opening the lid it as the sleeve is slid rearwardly on.

the pen barrel. The groove 2| is provided in the incline 22 which prevents the knob from "at first moving along the pen barrel and exerts a thrust on the push rod 23 thus opening the lid it before it engages the pen point. As the sleeve is moved further, the knob is fully received in the groove 2! and may slide along the pen barrel to the open position of the sleeve as in Figure 3. It will also be observed in Figure 3 that the knob so co-acts with the incline 22 and surface of the pen barrel 1 as to hold the free edge of the lid It spaced slightly from contact with the pen barrel. This not only presents a better appearance but .also prevents scratching the pen barrel by the lid.

Co-acting means between the barrel A and cap B is provided whereby the cap, may be guided along the pen barrel and releasably held in either its closed position over the pen point or in its open position over the rear end of .the

barrel. Provided in the outer surface of the pen barrel 5B are two longitudinally extending parallel spaced apart guide slots and 3! which are formed relatively narrow so as not to interhere with ones grip onthe pen when being used.

The guide slot opens at the rear end of the barrel iii and extends to a point closely adlament the forward end of-the barrel where it terminates in a diagonal locking slot 32, while the guide slot 3! opens at the forward end of the barrel and extends to a point closely adjacent the rear end of the barrel where it terminates in a diagonal locking slot 33 extending in an opposite direction circumferentially of the barrel to that of the locking slot 32. The guide slots 3t and 33 are spaced relatively close to one another and are provided on the pen barrel at a location approximately diametrically opposite to the groove 2! in the cap B. Projecting inwardly from'the sleeve it at a point closer adjacent the forward end of the sleeve, and in substantially diametrical relation to the groove 2!, is a guide stud 35 in the form of a rounded knob for sliding movement in the guide slot 3!. This stud 3 may be formed integral with the sleeve is. Projecting into the sleeve is at a point adjacent the rear end of the sleeve and slightly offset circumferentiallyfrom the stud 3 for adistance equal to the spacing of the guide slots is a second and removable guide stud 35 having a rounded knob for sliding in the guide slot 39. This stud 35 is threaded into the sleeve 15 to permit assembling of the sleeve with a limited sliding movement on the relative rotation when the cap is slid to posiion at either end of the barrel. When the cap B is a position covering the pen point II, the stud 35 looks in the locking slot 32, and when the cap is in its open position at the rear end of the pen barrel, the stud 36 locks in the lock- When opening the pen for use, the cap 13 is given a slight rotary movement which moves the guide studout of the locking slot 32 and aligns the guide stud 34 with the open end of" its guide slot 3!. The cap is then slid rearward over the pen barrel and the rounded knob 25 on. the push rod 23 co-acts with theinclined end of the groove 2! to exert a push on the rod and open the lid [6 against the tension of the spring hinge ll before the lid contacts the pen point E2. The cap may be slid along the pen barrel until the stud34i reaches the rear end of the guide slot 3i and at which time the stud 35 will have moved out of the open end of its guide slot to a point beyond the rear end of the pen barrel; A slight turn may then be given the cap for moving the stud 3 8 into the locking slot 33 and locking the cap in an open position. As seen from Figure 3, the knob 25 and the inclined or cam surface 22 are such as to hold the free edge of the lid it slightly spaced from the pen barrel. By having the filler lever is in oiiset relation to the back of the pen point, prevents the filler lever from interfering with sliding movement of the knob 25'; along the surface of the pen barrel.

Referring particularly to Figure 2, showing the fountain pen in use, it will be seen that the stud and slot arrangement permits the cap to be moved to a position at the head" end of the barrel and well out of the way of ones fingers when writing, with the cap resting between the juncture of the thumb and index finger. lid it lays along the pen barrel in substantial alignment with the back of the pen point and therefore does not interfere with use of the pen.

. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, when the cap is slid rearward on the pen barrel, the cap extends for.

some distance beyond the rear end of the pen barrel and thus provides the desired length to the pen when writing.

Changes in detail may be made to the form of invention herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a fountain pen, a barrel having a pen point at its forward end, a sleeve slidable on the barrel, longitudinally spaced ciroumierentially ofiset studs on the sleeve co-actlng with parallel longitudinal slots in the barrel for guided movement of the sleeve on the barrel, means limiting relative rotary movement between the barrel and sleeve when the sleeve is moved to either end of the barrel, a hinged lid closing the outer end of the sleeve, and means forcausing the lid to be opened as the sleeve is slid rearward on the barrel.

2. A fountain pen comprising a pen holder including a barrel, a pair of parallel guide slots formed longitudinally of the barrel with one slot opening at one end of the barrel and the other The siot opening 'at the opposite end of the barrel, a

sleeve slidable on the barrel and having a pair of inwardly extending studs guided in said slots, a hinged lid for closing the forward end of the sleeve, and means for automatically opening the lid when the sleeve is slid rearward on the barrel.

3. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having a pen point at its forward end, a pair of parallel guide slots formed longitudinally of the barrel,

one of said slots opening at the forward end of the barrel and terminating in a locking slot adjacent the rear end of the barrel and the other slot opening at therear end of the barrel and terminating in a locking slot adjacent the for- I ward end of the barrel, a closure cap for enclosing the pen point and including a sleeve slidable and closed at its rear end, a second guide slot,

parallel to the first slot and opening at therar end oi the barrel and closed at its forward end, a sleeve slidable on the barrel, a guide stud extending inward from the sleeve for movement in one of the guide slots, a removable guide stud extending inward from the sleeve for movement in the other guide slot, one of said studs being movable past one end of the barrel and the other stud being movable past the other end of the barrel, a closure lid for one end of the sleeve, and operating means for the lid.

5. A fountain pen comprising a barrel having an annular concaved grip at its forward end and a. pen point in the grip, a cap for enclosing the grip and pen point including a sleeve slidably guided on the barrel to limited positions of movement at opposite ends of the barrel, a hinged closure lid for the forward end of the sleeve, a longitudinal groove internally of the sleeve and opening at the forward end of the sleeve and having an inclined portion at its inner end, a push rod lying in the groove and pivoted at one end to the lid, and a rounded knob at the free end of the push rod lying in said concaved grip when the sleeve is enclosing the pen point, said knob co-acting with the concaved grip and said inclined groove portion for opening the lid as the cap is slid rearward on the pen barrel.

6. In combination with a fountain pen barrel having an annularly concaved grip at its forward end, a tubular sleeve slidable along the barrel from end to end thereof andhaving an internal groove, a spring hinged lid normally closing the forward end of the sleeve, and operating means within the sleeve including a push rod disposed in the groove and having a knob at one end co-acting with the concaved grip for opening the lid as the sleeve is slid rearward on the barrel, said operating means being movable into said groove of the sleeve to permit its move ment along the pen barrel and said knob co- 'acting with the surface of the pen barrel and the groove for holding the lid out of sliding contact with the barrel.

7. A sliding closure cap for writing instruments, comprising a tubular sleeve for sliding movement along the instrument, a lid for closing the forward end of the sleeve, a spring hinge for the lid and normally urging the lid to a closed position over the end of the sleeve, a groove internally of the sleeve and opening at the iorward end of the sleeve and having an inclined cam portion at its inner end, a push rod fitting in the groove, means pivoting the push rod at one end to the lid, and a knob at the free end of the'push rod and movable into the groove, said knob acting between the inclined cam portion and the writing implement for opening the lid as the cap is slid on the implement.

WILLIAM E. HOUSTON. 

